


Armor

by WritingMonkey



Series: OAUT High School AU [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bullying, Childhood Memories, Cleaning to Feel Better, Consensual, Crying, Drama, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, F/M, Gay Sex, Harassment, Homecoming, I mean its Killian what can you expect, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Mentions of drugs, Painting, Panic Attacks, Party, S'mores, Slut Shaming, Snapchat, Teacher-Student Relationship, Texting, Tutoring, Underage Drinking, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vaginal Sex, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-03 15:56:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15822165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingMonkey/pseuds/WritingMonkey
Summary: The Kings' have a tradition of holding a party on the first weekend after school comes back at their estate in their enormous mansion. As with any teenage party, there's drama. Lots and lots of drama. Secrets are exposed, deals are made and new relationships are forged.





	1. Snow White

When she was home, Mary Margaret rarely left her room. In her room, she could avoid Regina and Cora (she refuses to call the woman by her mother’s rightful title) and work on her artwork. Often Regina would bring her friends over and that usually included Katherine. If they ever saw Mary Margaret, Katherine would usually start talking about how amazing David is and how often he tells her he loves her. It usually makes Mary Margaret sick to her stomach to hear of the perfect cheerleader’s boyfriend.

Exactly at three o’clock, Mary Margaret hears the front door slam and she pauses in her painting to listen to Regina, Katherine and Ashley loudly gossip their way to the kitchen. She hears the blender going and decides to quickly slip into her mother’s studio to grab more paint before they all troop up to Regina’s room one floor above her’s.

Mary Margaret puts down her brush and slips into the hall. She turns to the stairs and collides with Ashley. The contents of Ashley’s purse spill all over the floor and Mary Margaret looks around for Regina or Katherine. When she realizes that they are still downstairs in the kitchen, she kneels down to help Ashley pick up the things that spilled from her purse.

“I’m so sorry, Ashley,” Mary Margaret says over and over, but the girl seems too focused on collecting her things. Mary Margaret picks up the last item and stands to give it to Ashley, but then she realizes what she’s holding. In her hand, she holds a pregnancy test and a little pink plus sign shines from the window. Mary Margaret looks up into Ashley’s face. The cheerleader looks at the pregnancy test and then looks at Mary Margaret’s face. “Are you…?” Mary Margaret asks, trailing off. Ashley’s face becomes scared and bursts into noisy tears.

Mary Margaret automatically wraps her arms around the crying cheerleader and leads her into her empty room. They sit on her canopied bed and after a few minutes, Ashley stops crying. “I’m sorry, Mary Margaret. I’m so sorry,” she sniffles and wipes her cheeks. Mary Margaret grabs a few tissues from the side of her bed and uses them to wipe at Ashley’s running mascara. “Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on sometimes, Ashley,” she says. “I just want to help you.”

“Why?” Ashley asks. “We are awful to you. I mean we are just horrible to you. I won’t blame you if you had just left me there.”

Mary Margaret just sighs. “I’m not that person. I help those who need help and that is all. And don’t worry, I won’t tell them.” Ashley sniffs. “Why not?” Mary Margaret rubs the weeping girl’s shoulder. “Because it’s not my place.” 

Mary Margaret realizes that she shouldn’t want to help Ashley or feel in any way like helping this girl, but her mother’s words still stick in her mind years after her death. There are always those who need help, my princess. No one is ever beneath you. Mary Margaret was always one to help others, especially after mother died.  
Ashley is looking at Mary Margaret with incredulity written all across her face and so she asks, “Does Sean know?” The cheerleader sniffs and shakes her head. “Well, he’s a good guy, I know he’ll help you, whatever you decide to do.”

Ashley suddenly stops as if she realized something terrifying, “What am I going to do? Oh my god, what have I done?” Mary Margaret folds the girl back into her arms and holds her as she cries. She feels a surge of strength and takes advantage of it, as it doesn’t happen very often that Mary Margaret feels powerful. “You are going to take care yourself and your baby. You are going to go the doctor’s and get checked and take vitamins or whatever you need to do. And you are going to tell Sean before you tell anyone else and the two of you are going to figure out what to do. Okay?” Ashley nods numbly and stands up, wiping her mascara off her cheeks and goes to the bathroom to touch up her makeup.

As she leaves her room, Ashley stops and looks back. Mary Margaret hasn’t moved from her spot on her bed. “Thank you, Mary Margaret.” And then the cheerleader returns to her gossiping friends.

Mary Margaret revels in the feeling of completeness that comes from helping someone, even if that someone was her enemy’s friend. She couldn’t call Ashley her enemy anymore, not when she knew what the girl had in front of her. That girl was going to have a tough year.

She comes back from her mother’s studio and heads to the painting set up near the fire place when her phone buzzes from its place on her nightstand. She sets down her supplies and goes over, tilting the screen up and then almost dropping it when she sees who has texted her. 3 messages from David Nolan? She opens her phone quickly and reads the messages.

David: Hey  
David: Mary Margaret? are u ther?  
David: Can we talk?

Mary Margaret stops and considers what she should do. Should she respond and risk Katherine finding out, or should she shut him down like everyone says she should? She only ponders for a moment before she quickly types an answer.

Me: What’s up?

She heads back to her painting, expecting a reply in a minute or so, but less than ten seconds later, her phone buzzes.

David: Are you okay?

Mary Margaret frowns at her phone. Is she okay? She’s not really sure how to answer that question. She’s definitely been worse, but she could definitely feel better too. Okay? Maybe, but she would settle for surviving at the moment. Her nerves are always frail around Regina and having Katherine and Regina both attack her in one day has set her more on edge than usual. And having Emma come to her rescue only to get a month’s detention wasn’t doing much to help her feelings of self-worth.  
Why does he even care? His girlfriend is the one tormenting her most of the time because she likes him.

Me: I’m surviving.  
David: Im so sorry.  
David: About Katherine and Regina attacking you today  
Me: I’m used to it.

There’s a long pause where he doesn’t text back, and for a moment, Mary Margaret is afraid that she’s offended him or something. But then, she gets a snapchat from him showing a selfie in football gear in the school locker room. His face is covered in a sheen of sweat and for some reason, this makes Mary Margaret’s stomach clench. He has a gorgeously gentle smile on his face and it comes with the caption i thought u could use a smile :)

Usually Mary Margaret doesn’t snapchat much, but this once, she likes the gesture. She turns on her camera and clicks a picture of her barely-started painting and sends it back to him with the caption thanks handsome ;)

She receives a text from him a second later.

David: Are those the birds from earlier?  
Me: Yea. I liked them so much, I couldn’t wait to start.  
David: Looks really nice.  
Me: I haven’t even started yet. It’s just a sketch with some paint.  
David: Then it’ll be stunning by the time it’s done, right?  
Me: You have too much faith in my prowess.  
David: It seems you don’t have enough faith in yours. I’ve seen your work before. It’s really good.

Mary Margaret blushes a little at his compliment and then freezes when she hears Regina and Katherine loudly coming up the stairs. They giggle loudly before Regina opens Mary Margaret’s door and leans against the frame. “Whatcha doing, M&M?”

She turns away, her fingers going stiff around her phone. Not another attack, please not another one. She’s not sure she has the strength for a third today. “Painting,” she whispers away from them.

“What was that, you little whore?” asks Katherine loudly, but before she can respond, Regina says “Oh look, she’s painting, Katherine. Isn’t that sweet, she’s trying to be talented. Too bad her paintings look like a cow turd.” The two laugh heartily and move up the stairs to Regina’s room. Mary Margaret squeezes her eyes shut before the tears sting her eyes. She hears Ashley’s voice say “Sorry” from the door before it closes and she’s left in the dark again.

Mary Margaret’s phone buzzes and she sees that David has texted her 4 times. She opens them, still reeling from the harsh words. She can’t flirt with David because he is taken and his perfect girlfriend enjoys reminding Mary Margaret of her inadequacies at every turn.

David: Mary Margaret?  
David: Hey, u okay?  
David: Whats wrong?  
David: Whats wrong?

After a moment, collecting herself, she types back.

Me: I’m sorry David I can’t.

Her tears fall freely now and she goes to her bed before she ruins her painting with the salt water. She lies facedown while her tears seep into her pillow. Her phone buzzes and before she can stop herself, she’s opening it to look at David’s message.

David: What happened?  
Me: Your girlfriend just stopped by my room  
David: Oh. What did she do?  
Me: Nothing she hasn’t done before, but it made me realize that I can’t  
David: Can’t what?  
Me: I can’t flirt with you and we cant spend time together because they’ll always find out and torture me for it. I like you, so I just cant. Bye

Mary Margaret flings her phone down onto her floor and sticks her earbuds into her ears and blasts some heavy rock while she continues to cry.

Hours later, her music and tears have run out, but Mary Margaret hasn’t moved, still facedown on her pillows, eyes closed and trying to drown out the sounds of Regina and Katherine and Ashley laughing upstairs.

“Mary Margaret? Honey?” a soft voice asks. She turns over on her bed to see Johanna holding a tray of food out for her. She sits up and rubs the wetness off her cheeks. Joanna was one of the only maids they still kept in the house from before her mother’s death. She was a kind and quiet woman who Mary Margaret had come to treat as a friend. She would always bring Mary Margaret her dinner so the teenager did not have to leave her room and risk facing Regina or Cora.

“Oh sweetheart,” the woman says and puts the tray of steaming soup down to pull Mary Margaret into her soft arms. Mary Margaret allows herself to be held, but her tears do not overflow again. She simply breathes in the smell of sugar and bread that always clung around Joanna and allows her body to relax.

“Sweetheart, just focus on your studies and your friends. Don’t pay attention to them and you’ll be fine.” Mary Margaret lets the kind woman’s words wash over her, but doesn’t really listen to her advice. That is what she had always tried to do and look how well that turned out. She had always tried to focus on her work and not anger the cheerleading squad, but the pull to David always overrode her conscience. She just had to stay away from him.

“Well, sweetie, just eat your soup and feel better. Call me if you need anything.” Joanna leaves, closing Mary Margaret’s door behind her quietly. Mary Margaret stares at the soup for a second before going to her bathroom and pulling out a rag and a spray bottle of Windex. She takes her damp rag to every horizontal service in her room. She re-organizes her vanity and re-folds her shirts.

When the clock strikes ten o’clock, Mary Margaret collapses onto her freshly made bed. She picks up her phone and to avoid the temptation, she deletes all twenty of the messages David sent her. Her cold soup goes down her bathroom sink and the crackers remain uneaten. She sinks into her four-poster bed and lets the exhaustion in her body take over.


	2. Emma Swan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma just can't resist Killian's good looks, despite how much he annoys her. And then there's the party tonight...

“You don’t look very happy, Swan,” Killian’s voice echoes into Emma’s mind, shocking her out of her daydream. She rolls her eyes at him and turns back to the shelves in front of her. “Why would I be, I have to endure an hour of you completely unfiltered.”

He smirks and Emma scowls at him. He really knows how to push her buttons and their arguments are both annoying and fun. In the past week of detention she has gotten used to his innuendoes and horrible jokes. It’s Friday and everyone in detention is restlessly moving among stacks, putting books back in their rightful places. Fifteen minutes remain and Emma can’t wait to go back to the home and not worry about school anymore.

“Are you going to the bonfire tonight love?” Killian asks her while putting a thick novel back in its rightful place on the shelf in front of him. Emma sighs. “First of all, I’m not your love and secondly, why in the world would I tell you if I was?”

Emma is going to the bonfire, a tradition of the King family going back several generations. Every weekend after school started, the Kings have a bonfire on the beach that sits at the edge of their land. In the few days she has been here, Mary Margaret has begged her to come so many times that Emma finally relented and said she would be there. Sister Astrid had given her permission and told her again to watch over her friends.

“Well, love,” he says, emphasizing the syllable she hates so much “you’re hoping I’ll be there so we can spend more time together.”

If Emma was entirely honest, despite Killian’s annoying nature and horrible jokes, he is attractive. His black hair and the slight stubble rounding his chin plays havoc with Emma’s concentration, and she tries her hardest not to imagine it brushing against her neck or the sensitive skin of her thighs. His soulful blue eyes are guarded and Emma sees in Killian a kindred soul, someone who was also hurt in the past and goes to extreme measures to keep that pain at bay.

It’s his method and not the reason that bothers Emma. His method, according to everyone, is to sleep with any female with reasonably good looks. She doesn’t want to become just another notch on his belt, something to brag about to his buddies.

Emma rolls her eyes and moves down the stacks to put her last book back into its place. She can almost feel him following her deeper into the stacks. “Why don’t you just leave me alone, Jones?”

His responding chuckle is much closer than she thinks he was and she spins to see him leaning against a bookcase next to her. “Because you are just too much fun to tease, love.” On the last word he leans forward till their faces are only a few inches apart. She gasps slightly and breathes in his unique scent. The heavenly scent of sea salt and leather and the light overall scent of men’s cologne overwhelms her and her mind shuts down.

He is so handsome, is the only coherent thought in her mind and her gaze is drawn to his parted lips. Without even thinking, she grabs him by his leather jacket and smashes their lips together. She can feel his surprise as he reacts to her suddenly accosting him, and Emma almost pulls back, but then he leans into the kiss.

Emma brings her arms around his neck and his arms go behind her back and her whole mind is focused on him. His lips are soft for a guy’s but firm and his tongue insistently begging entrance to her mouth. She grants him access and as his tongue brushes against her’s, her stomach clenches. She lightly moans into his mouth and he pulls her closer. Her back hits the shelves behind her and his leg comes between her’s and she can feel wetness pool at her core. Emma can feel Killian’s arms on either side of her body, trapping her against the bookcase.

Her stomach clenches again, but this time panic sets in. Killian presses her tighter against the bookcase and summoning all her strength, she pushes him off her. He flies backwards and hits the opposite shelf with some force, but his face shows only confusion and not pain.

Emma clears her throat and straightens her shirt. “Wait a minute before you leave, Jones,” she says over her back as she walks back to the middle of the library to pack up her stuff and leave before he can come after her and make a stupid joke or, even worse, ask her what was wrong. Her dismissive tone makes him listen for once and she can exit the library and get to her car before she has to see him again.

She drives to the home and goes in, greeting Henry and Ava and little Nicholas she hears about their day, leaving her own emotionally exhausting day behind her. When one of the nuns pulls the three children away in an effort to give Emma some room, she goes to her room and sits on her bed and stares at her wall. She remarks that she is rather calm about her kiss with Killian, and she concludes that she hasn’t really caught up to being panicked about that yet.

Emma’s phone rings in her bag and she automatically dives for it, expecting it to be Mary Margaret making sure that Emma is still coming to the bonfire tonight, but Ruby’s name is flashing on her phone. She answers and says, “Hey Ruby, what’s up?”

The teenager answers, “Nothing, I was just checking that you’re still coming tonight. Lacey just canceled because Mr. fucking Gold is keeping her after school today.”  
Emma chuckled. After that first day, Lacey had not been free for any sort of afterschool stuff because she was tutoring with the history teacher after school, a fact that annoyed Ruby to no end. Emma had been at the receiving end of most of Ruby’s rants, most of which consisted of “She’s smart enough, why is she tutoring?” and “He’s such a snake, can you imagine spending more than forty minutes with him every day?” in various different wordings. Emma didn’t really mind hearing the same complaints over and over again because it was really nice to have someone wanting to talk to her, no matter what the content.

“Come on, Ruby, you know she has trouble in history.” Emma lies down on her bed, and stares at her ceiling, settling into a comfortable, expected conversation with her friend.

“I know, but he’s keeping her after school on a Friday. How heartless is he?” Her voice is shrill and Emma refrains from holding the phone away from her ear a few inches.

“But, you’re still coming tonight right?”

Emma sighs and says, “I guess.”

“Oh no, what happened?” Ruby’s shrill voice is back, but its octave is due to worry and not irritation. Emma sighs again, and decides to tell her some of the truth, but not everything. Everything would take a long time and the emotional stamina that Emma does not have right now.

“It’s Killian Jones,” she starts, but Ruby cuts her off. “Emma, don’t even think about sleeping with him. Girls don’t mean anything to him and you’ll just become another notch on his bedpost.”

“I know that, Ruby, I just want him to leave me alone. He’s annoying and I just want to focus on school, you know? How do I get him to do that?”  
Emma hears Ruby considering for a moment.

“You want him to leave you alone?”

“Yeah, the sooner the better.”

“Then, you should sleep with him,” Ruby says, her voice resigned. “He’s used to getting his way with girls, so the more you refuse him, the more he’ll think of you as a challenge.” Emma sighed. That made sense to what she knew about Jones. 

“I’ll think about it, Ruby.” 

“I’m just saying, it’s the easiest and quickest way.”

“Yeah, thanks Ruby,” Emma’s tone is getting a bit annoyed, so Ruby drops it.

There’s a short silence and then Ruby is back. “So, you’re still coming tonight? Cause I don’t wanna be alone there.”

“Yes, I’m still coming Ruby,” Emma answers good-naturedly, “Why would you be alone? Aren’t Mary Margaret and August gonna be there?”

“Yeah, but Mary Margaret always holes up in the library or something after a while and August disappears like fifteen minutes into a party. He always shows up when I wanna go home to give me a ride though, which is nice.”

“That’s weird,” Emma says, her mind already going through scenarios where August would want to disappear to during a party. There are so many options. Wanting to drink or smoke, hooking up with someone, drugs. Going through the options, she doesn’t really want to think about it too much.

“Hey, Ruby? What kind of party is this?”

Ruby laughs a little. “What do you mean, Ems? It’s not an orgy if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Emma laughs a little nervously. She never likes being the prude, but she doesn’t want to put herself in a situation where unwanted memories start cropping up. “No, I just…is there gonna be alcohol, weed…other drugs…?” She trails off at the end, hopeful that this party is one where she’ll actually be able to have fun.

“Oh no, Jesus, Emma!” Ruby laughs a little harder. “There’s usually some alcohol being passed around and I think some people go up on the roof to smoke, but most of it is either swimming in the lake, sitting by the bonfire talking and making s’mores, or eating in the kitchen. Nothing fancy, you know?”

Emma gives a sigh of relief. She doesn’t mind weed or alcohol, but she barely partakes in either because she can see how stupid it makes people. She would rather remain completely sober and aware, thank you. Beyond that is where she draws the line. It reminds her too much of him, so she avoids those at all costs.

“Do you mind drinking or getting stoned?” Ruby asks on the other end. “I mean, I’m not gonna get drunk or anything, but…do you mind people around you getting…intoxicated?”

“No, no, no, no. No, Ruby I don’t mind, I just won’t join in. I don’t like not being in control.”

There’s a short pause on Ruby’s side and Emma worries for a second that she’s offended her new friend, but Ruby quickly says, “Yeah, I get that. So, you don’t mind me drinking tonight?”

“Nope. As long as you get home safe, I don’t care.”

“Oh yeah, August doesn’t drink at most parties. He’s my ride most of the time, so yeah. He swears he doesn’t mind staying sober, and since he’s not around anyway, I guess he’s fine with it.”

“Yeah…” Emma trails off, not sure where to take the conversation now.

“Anyhow, I gotta start getting ready. But I’ll see you in a couple hours?”

“Yeah, see you then,” Emma answers, ending the call and laying back on her bed, absorbing this new information. 

It seems like this party is going to be fun, from what’s she’s heard. Not much alcohol or drugs and different things to do throughout the house and grounds. Speaking of, the large mansion would be rather convenient if she needed a hiding place to have a quiet panic attack if anything got to be too much. Emma hunkered down and told herself she was going to have a good time tonight.


	3. Belle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killian Jones' advice has not helped Lacey at all in her quest to start an affair with her history teacher Mr. Gold.

Lacey was so frustrated. Killian Jones’ advice is not proving to be helpful at all. Spending more time with Mr. Gold is simply making her imagination run even more wild, and trying to get his attention is proving fruitless. She’s tried all the tricks girls use in movies, the bend-and-snap, playing with her hair, trying to get him to notice her boobs or her legs, but nothing is ruffling even a single feather. She even mustered the courage once to tell him that she wanted to be spread all over his desk and all that resulted in was a blank look and then a glare.

She should’ve gotten better advice from that stupid Jones. Or maybe asked someone else. But she couldn’t imagine anyone else having quite as much experience. Even Ruby couldn’t get Mr. Gold to break his harsh exterior like Killian had that first day.

“Mr. Gold?” she asked, raising her hand and interrupting his solo lecture. He stopped and she put her hand down, carefully arranging it so that her hands pushed her boobs even further out of her shirt.

“I’m just not sure explaining the same events the same way you did in class is helping me at all.” She kept her eyes on him and she saw just the smallest hint of anger touch his eyes before his mask was back.

“Well, I’m not sure how you want me to explain historical events. This is the way they happened.”

Lacey pouted a little, but then she got an idea. “What’s your favorite historical figure, Mr. Gold?”

“What?”

“I just thought if you could tell me who is your favorite historical figure, I could relate to how you view history better?” It was more to see if he got passionate about talking to her about them than that, but it was a good enough excuse. He bought it anyway.

He slowly started talking about some guy named Alfred Wallace, and his contributions to science. Eventually, his eyes lit up and he started just rambling about his favorite moments in history and Lacey fell for him all over again. 

Just having the mask gone and seeing the real man with the real passions behind it all reminded Lacey why she wanted this. Why she wanted him more than anyone else. Behind his mask, he was beautiful. He wasn’t traditionally handsome and he was years older than her, but she could see their connection when he was open with himself. They were simply meant to be together. She knew it.

Mr. Gold stopped talking a few minutes later and seemed to have realized what a tangent he had gone on. He glanced over at her, his eyes still open. She could practically feel his eyes on her, and as she started to figure out that best way to approach him, his eyes suddenly hardened again.

“Better, Miss French?”

The change in her history teacher was so sudden that all Lacey could do as murmur out a yes.

“Then I suppose, this is a good a time as any to end our session today. Give you something to think about during the weekend.” Mr. Gold went back behind his desk and started packing up his things in a clear dismissal.

Lacey slowly stood up and started to put her things back into her bag. She took every opportunity to bend over and show Mr. Gold her legs, but when she stood up, he seemed completely unfazed.

“Goodnight, Miss French,” he said over his papers.

God damn it.


	4. Snow White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary Margaret hates parties and Drunk Regina more than anything.

Mary Margaret was teetering just on the edge of a panic attack. There were so many people there, and though this usually gave her options to avoid Regina and her minions, they were being particularly interested in where she went this time. Everywhere she went, they would be there a few minutes later, not-so-subtly breaking into her conversations and even less subtly calling her a slut or other equally hurtful names. Regina didn’t drink except during parties and she was really putting them away tonight. And the more she drank, the meaner she became.

She glanced at the clock and took another nervous sip of her strong cocktail. She had promised her father that she would participate at the party for an hour, so she only had a half an hour to go. She could do this. Looking around the room for any sign of her friends, she hoped that they arrived soon. Emma could probably turn Regina around again as she had in the diner.

And to make it even worse, the one kid that had made her drink had put in way more vodka than she usually had. She had thought about tossing it out inconspicuously, but then when it became clear Regina had a mission tonight, she had embraced the strong alcohol more than she ever had. So far, it had just made her just slightly unfocused.

Seeing only people she didn’t really know in this room, Mary Margaret moved on to the next room and saw Emma and Ruby sitting on a couch, chatting with each other. Ruby was drinking steadily from her flask, but Emma just had a soda can in her hand. They both looked to be having a good time though. Grabbing the ottoman from the middle of the room, Mary Margaret sat down across from them and they all greeted each other happily. 

Emma looked at Mary Margaret worriedly. “Are you okay there, champ?” her mouth turning up a bit when Ruby laughed just a bit too hard at her words. Mary Margaret cleared her throat and tried to look happy.

“Oh yeah, I’m fine. Parties aren’t really my thing, but I’m glad everyone else is having a great time.” Smiling through her inner pain, she just hoped that it was enough for them to be convinced. Ruby bought it immediately, but Emma took just a hair longer before she shrugged her shoulders and they started chatting happily again.  
“So, we still have no idea where he goes? Weird…” Emma said, shaking her head and looking disappointed. 

Mary Margaret furrowed her brow. “Who are we talking about?” Ruby rolled her eyes and said, “August. We came with him and I told Emma that he always disappears at a party within the first few minutes he gets there and apparently she didn’t believe me.”

Emma scoffed. “That is not true, I don’t disbelieve you, I just find it hard to believe that you never figured out where he goes. Aren’t you curious?”

Ruby shook her head and Mary Margaret followed suit. She would hate it if someone followed her into her sanctuary during a party. Being alone during a party was often the only real choice she felt she had.

“I don’t really care what he does during these parties, Ems,” said Ruby. “If he ain’t hurting himself or anybody else and gets me home sober, I’m fine. It’s his business.”  
Emma shrugged a little and seemed to drop it, but Mary Margaret could tell that it bothered her a little bit. She was about to open her mouth to offer brainstorm options with her blond friend when a voice sounded from the doorway.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the saddest group of sluts I’ve ever seen.” Regina’s voice sent a chill down Mary Margaret’s spine. Kathryn was predictably right behind her with her arms crossed and a smug smile on her lips. Ashley was a bit further off looking resigned and just the slightest bit pale.

In a moment of sadness and unexpected boldness, Mary Margaret whispered to herself, “It’s way more sad that you three have been following me all night.” Regina wouldn’t hear it of course, but that little rebellion was something Mary Margaret would cling to for several days at least.

Regina sloppily grabbed Mary Margaret’s arm and pulled her up, overcompensating a little and getting off balance before correcting and narrowing her eyes at Mary Margaret. She opened her mouth and was obviously about to start in on a tirade, when she was stopped.

Emma’s hands pushed Regina back from Mary Margaret and into Katherine and Ashley. “Stay off her back, Regina. I’m not in the mood to deal with you, alright?” Emma voice was authoritative and sure, and Mary Margaret realized how much like an adult her new friend was.

But Regina seemed just drunk enough that the part of her brain that told her to protect herself above all was shut off, because without much hesitation, she tried shoving Emma back very clumsily. But, she didn’t make contact because Emma stepped neatly out of the way.

Regina straightened out, her face now red and her hands shaking. She looked about ready to start a fight with Emma, and the entire room had gone silent in anticipation. Mary Margaret has braced herself against the couch, far away from the center, waiting for the explosion of fists.

Suddenly, Ashley lurches towards the center of the room and Regina’s side, bumping into her and throwing up all over her shoes. The room echoes in groans and choruses of “gross” and “party foul” and the other teenagers quickly start running out of the room. Ashley crumples on the floor next to Regina’s feet and starts sobbing uncontrollably.

Mary Margaret dives down to her side, remembering the pregnancy stick from earlier and hugging the sobbing girl, pulling back her hair and trying to calm her sobs. “It’s okay, Ashley. Don’t worry about it, its just a carpet.” She knows that isn’t the reason the blonde is upset, but she would never expose someone like that. Instead, she shushes the crying girl and hopes that she’ll be okay at some point.

“What the fuck, Ash! You bitch! How could you throw up all over my new suede heels? These were really expensive, they’re designer!” Regina seems to have found her voice again, and isn’t doing anything constructive with it but yelling at her sobbing friend.

“Really, Regina?” Emma pipes up, countering her negativity. “Your friend is lying on the ground crying over her vomit and you’re yelling at her. New low. Do you ever pick on someone your own size?”

Regina reels back, her eyes wide and full of fire, ready to unleash when Sean comes barreling in. “Ash! Baby, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Ashley whimpers and Sean leans down on her other side, subtly pushing Regina aside. “What is it? What’s wrong, sweetie?” Ashley shakes her head and then whispers, “Can you bring me to the bathroom? I don’t feel so good.”

Sean immediately jumps up and helps her stand, walking her steadily around the corner and down the hall to the closest bathroom, leaving Emma and Regina staring each other down across the room with Ruby behind Emma, her eyes wide but her stance solid and ready for a fight and Kathryn behind Regina, looking confused and concerned after Ashley. And Mary Margaret on her knees in the center of it all, next to pile of vomit.

Emma is the first to recover. “Do you think she’ll be okay? I mean, it was just too much to drink, right?”

Regina reels back, looking to attack, but Kathryn replies first. “No, it wasn’t that. She didn’t have anything to dink, I was with her the whole time. Maybe it was food poisoning or something.”

Emma looks concerned. “Yeah, maybe.”

Regina finally breaks her stance and looks behind her to where Ashley disappeared to, worry showing clear on her face. Kathryn and Regina share a look, seemingly trying to communicate with each other. “You know, I’m gonna go check on her,” Katherine says, her eyes wide and sad as she turns and runs down the hall.

“Uh, yeah, ya know, I’m gonna go figure out who’s gonna clean up this carpet, cuz its not gonna be me,” Ruby says as she turns and disappears the opposite way Kathryn and Ashley did.

Left alone in this room with Emma and Regina is not a place Mary Margaret wants to be at all, so she quickly stands up. Both green and brown eyes turn to examine her and pin her to the spot.

“Uh, yeah…” Mary Margaret haltingly says, “I’m gonna go help Ruby with that.” And she runs out of the room after Ruby, escaping upstairs to find a corner she can hide in.

After wandering for awhile and finding almost every corner in the house with a different group of friends talking and drinking together, she walks past her father’s library and stops. The large double doors remind her of the first time she went into this part of the house. Her mother had given her a long talk about respecting the books in here and not running around like it was playtime. “This is very important, my love,” she had said. “This is where your father keeps all the books he can find that offer real wisdom to the reader. It is his life’s work. Don’t go in here unless he expressly invites you, its very important to keep it the way he wants, alright?” Mary Margaret remembers nodding and going in while holding her mother’s hand while hiding behind her legs as if there were something scary in Daddy’s library. She remembers sitting in between her mother’s legs as she read a book until Mary Margaret fell asleep in a patch of golden sunlight.

Standing outside these doors, Mary Margaret decides to hide in here until the party is over. The PRIVATE sign would be enough to keep most people out and she could read a book until she fell asleep, just like that memory of an afternoon with her mother. She pushes one of the doors open and slips in before anyone can see where she’s hiding, closing it quietly behind her.

Mary Margaret stands with the double doors at her back, looking out at the two-story library her father has spent his life creating. It looks so different from that golden afternoon so many years ago. The room is dark and there is dust everywhere. It seems like her father hasn’t been in here in years.

A flicker of light catches Mary Margaret’s eye. Over in the corner by the fireplace, she sees the unmistakable light that comes from the flashlight of someone’s phone.

“Hello? Who’s in here?” she calls out, voice strong and sure. This is her family’s private memory, who would dare to come in here and violate that?

There is the sound of someone jumping and quietly cursing before the light shifts as the person stands up and turns around.

“Mary Margaret?”

“David? What on earth are you doing in here?”


	5. Emma Swan

After Mary Margaret escapes the room after Ruby, Emma can see the way Regina’s eyes follow the petite girl, hatred still clear in them. The loathing Emma sees in the tall cheerleader’s eyes is so all-encompassing its unexpected. What could have happened between the two of them that causes her to have so much hate for her?  
Mary Margaret and Ruby had escaped behind Emma’s back, and Regina seemed ready to push past Emma’s body to follow them, so Emma scrambles to stop that idea in its tracks. A verbal argument will go much farther with the queen of the school than a physical fight.

Emma moves neatly in front of the doorway behind her, plants her feet shoulder-width apart and crosses her arms.

“You know, I don’t know how you live with yourself, Regina.”

The brunette’s eyes flick to Emma, her anger now focused on someone who can take it and give it back just as hard. 

“In a really big house, with servants waiting on my every need and friends to come to my defense.”

“Really, you think that’s how friends act? Friends aren’t more interested in tormenting some poor girl to satisfy the hierarchy of the school than helping their friend after she puked all over the floor. Seriously, Regina, you were more upset about your shoes than anything else. You’re a heartless bitch and you will never be satisfied.”

Regina’s eyes flame and she reels back. Emma hunkers down slightly.

“Satisfy the hierarchy of the school? That’s why you think I torment her? You don’t know anything about what my life has been, don’t pretend to know why I do the things I do.”

“Well, I don’t see another reason why you would keep attacking the nicest person in the school than to keep her underneath you. You know she would be the most popular girl in the school if you didn’t scare everyone into following you.”

Regina laughs hollowly, her eyes still ringed in fire.

“Her? You think she could be the head of this school? Please, she doesn’t the balls to do what I do.”

“Yeah, what do you do, Regina? Run to your mother to fight your battles? Loom over everyone and scare them into doing what you want? Yeah, I’m sure that’s the hardest job in the world.”

For the first time, Regina is at a loss for words, too furious to retort anything. Emma leans back and relaxes slightly, taking a breather. But Regina isn’t on the ropes for long.

“You think you’re so noble, don’t you, Miss Swan?” she sneers as she steps forward. “Oh, I know, I’ll protect the little art slut just to get under her skin, that’s what I’ll do. You don’t even know what you’re protecting her for. You have no idea what she has done to me. She is getting everything she deserves.”

By the end of this speech, Regina is a foot away from Emma’s face, her eyes blazing and her mouth spitting the words out. Emma’s about to answer her fury when Kathryn walks into the room, followed closely by Ashley tucked under Sean’s arm, his letter-man jacket over her shoulders and tears running down her face.

“Hey, Regina?” asks Kathryn, seemingly unconcerned with the altercation between Emma and her friend. “Can we use your car to drive Ashley home? Her Dad drove her here and she was gonna get a ride home with Sean, but he won’t leave her side.”

Regina turns around and Emma glances over to the three blondes at the far side of the room. Kathryn looks confused and worried and Sean has tucked Ashley into his arms as she cries silently, his own eyes wide and fearful. Something is wrong. Very wrong. This isn’t just some case of food poisoning.

And for the first time since Emma has known Regina, the tall cheerleader actually acts like a real person and shows empathy.

“What’s wrong, Ash?” Ashley shakes her head and tucks it further into Sean’s chest. “Sean?” Regina prompts, anger edging into her voice again, but he just shakes his head and clenches his jaw.

There’s silence in the room as Regina considers. She finally decides, turning back to look at Emma, but saying over her shoulder, “Yeah, we’ll take my car. I’m driving. Go wait for me, would you guys?” They silently acquiesce and leave the room, presumably in the direction of the garage.

Regina’s eyes have regained their fire, though the intensity has died down. “This isn’t over, Miss Swan,” Regina snarls Emma’s name, clearly meant to insult the name the system gave her. “This won’t be over until I can crush you. Because believe me, you have no idea what I am capable of.”

Regina turns over her shoulder and stalks out the door like a runway model on a catwalk. Emma shakes her head at the retreating back.

“Please, you stuck up bitch. Bring it,” she whispers to herself and turns over her own shoulder to the door at her back, intent on finding Ruby and Mary Margaret.

She walks into the kitchen and finds Ruby on the phone with some rug-cleaning company, explaining that the stain must be cleaned tonight and yes, please put the bill on Mrs. King’s account. Ruby hangs up, rolling her eyes.

“Ugh, thank god. I thought we would have to clean it ourselves.”

Emma smiles lightly. “Where are Mr. and Mrs. King anyway? Isn’t it irresponsible to leave so many teenagers alone?”  
Ruby laughs sarcastically and says, “Of course it is, Emma. The King’s always tell the school board and parents that the teachers chaperone this party, but Mrs. King and Regina don’t really want there to be adults around while Regina can rule the roost, ya know?”

Emma nods and shakes her head. Of course Regina would be behind this unsupervised teen blowout.

“Have you seen Mary Margaret?” asks Ruby, stance easy as she leans against the kitchen counter.

Emma frowns. “No, she left after you to help with the carpet.”

Realization dawns on Ruby’s face. “Ah yeah, she must have just slipped upstairs then. After Regina’s around, she likes to just be alone. I’m gonna go drink and make some S’mores, wanna come with?” Ruby indicates the bonfire behind the house.

“No thanks Ruby, I’ll join you later.” Ruby nods and leaves, smiling over her shoulder. Emma isn’t really interested in either drinking or making S’mores, she’s more concerned with Mary Margaret. If this is as much of a regular occurrence as Ruby seems to act like it is, it could be some sort of unhealthy coping mechanism. 

Removing herself from people because she feels unworthy or something. Emma knows better than anyone that the mind is your own worst enemy and when you’re alone, the brain can make you spiral into some really dangerous places.

She won’t let that happen to her friend. She starts upstairs, calling Mary Margaret’s name as she goes. Some groups that she passes on her trek have no ideas where the petite girl went, but others point her in conflicting directions. She went up these stairs, no she went down this hall, no she went down these stairs. And within a couple minutes, Emma is hopelessly lost and getting desperate.

Where would Mary Margaret hide herself? If she was intent on being alone, Emma would have to guess in some room no one would look for her. Maybe one of the multiple guest bedrooms on this floor or wing, wherever Emma is in the mansion.

Emma starts banging on the doors as she passes, asking for Mary Margaret. Some are locked, some are full of teens smoking weed in circles, and some have couples in them that promptly tell Emma to fuck off after they say they don’t know where Mary Margaret is.

Emma pounds heavily on the final door in the hallway, saying loudly, “Mary Margaret? Come on, open up.” She hears a curse and someone tumbling onto the floor. Sounds like another couple stealing a moment away from the eyes of their parents, but Emma doesn’t really have a choice. If they know something, anything, it’ll be well worth it.

The door opens a crack, just enough for a sliver of a head to block the light coming from inside. “What do you want?” the head says vehemently, a male voice.

“I’m looking for my friend, Mary Margaret. She slipped away like 30-40 minutes ago, and I’m worried about her. Have you seen her?”

“No, sorry,” the head says, and the door starts closing. But before the door closes all the way, she hears another voice within say, “Wait, was that Emma? She’s looking for Mary Margaret? What’s wrong?”

The door closes, but Emma can hear muffled arguing taking place inside. She’s about to leave them to it and return to her search when the door opens all the way and she’s roughly pulled in, the door shut behind her.

“What happened, is Mary Margaret okay?” August asks, his face creased with worry.

“August?” Emma asks, frowning and casting her eyes around the room. A beautiful four poster bed stands in the center and both bedside lamps are on, bathing the room in a heavy golden glow. The bed is tousled and there’s a significant smell of sex in the air. Sitting on the bed with his head hanging and his jaw clenched tightly is Graham, Regina’s own boy-toy boyfriend.

“Graham?” Emma asks, finally putting the pieces together. “Holy shit,” a smile breaking her face.

Graham looks up, and glares significantly at August. August seems unperturbed by the look leveled at him and says over his shoulder, “Calm down, she’s not gonna tell anyone. She hates Regina.”

Graham doesn’t seem to take this well and he stands up, the last button of his jeans still undone and starts, “Exactly why she would tell someone! Take her down a peg, mess with her reputation.”

Emma cuts in. “I’d never do that to you, Graham. True, I don’t hold any love for Regina, but I’m not like her. I won’t let anyone’s suffering be the collateral damage between us.”

Graham rises to the challenge, “You don’t even know me, why would you protect me? Why would I trust you?”

“I’m not going to protect you, but I’m not going to expose you. You deserve your privacy. As to why you should trust me? You know Regina and you know what she’s like. And you can trust that I won’t stoop to her level.”

Graham is lost for words now, but no less wary of Emma. He narrows his eyes but sits back down on the bed. “I still don’t trust you,” he says lowly.

“Fine,” Emma replies, the fight gone from her and turns her attention to August, who’s eyes are resting worriedly on Graham. “Have you seen Mary Margaret recently? I’m worried about her.”

August refocuses on Emma. “Why? What happened?

Emma sighs and gives him a quick retelling of the drama that went down however many minutes ago. August is a captive audience, oohing and reacting in the perfect spots, absorbed by the production that happened below him.

“Man, I always miss the good drama,” he laments, but he relays that he hasn’t seen Mary Margaret since he arrived and subsequently slipped upstairs.

“Okay, cool,” Emma says awkwardly. She doesn’t know how to exit the situation now. “Alright, well, I’m going to look for her, you can go back to…yeah, see you.” 

Emma turns to leave, but August stops her, and she can hear Graham protest as well behind her.

“No way am I missing anymore drama, girl. It’s like you attract it,” August declares almost longingly.

“I’m not letting you out of my sight until I know that you aren’t going to tell anyone about us, Emma,” Graham says menacingly.

“Besides,” August says as he and Graham both go for the rest of their clothes, “the moment’s definitely gone now.”

Emma smiles slightly and waits for the pair to emerge with her so she can continue her search for her friend.


End file.
